Michael D. Eisner College of Education

5th Grade Science Standards

Physical Sciences

Elements and their combinations account for all the varied types of matter
in the world. As a basis for understanding this concept:

Students know that during chemical reactions the atoms in
the reactants rearrange to form products with different properties.

vinegar and baking soda

sugar and sulfuric acid

jelly bean combustion

Students know all matter is made of atoms, which may combine
to form molecules.

Students know metals have properties in common, such as high
electrical and thermal conductivity. Some metals, such as aluminum (Al),
iron (Fe), nickel (Ni), copper (Cu), silver (Ag), and gold (Au), are
pure elements; others, such as steel and brass, are composed of a combination
of elemental metals.

aluminum, copper, brass, steel - check electrical resistance, density

pre-post 1982 pennies

Students know that each element is made of one kind of atom
and that the elements are organized in the periodic table by their chemical
properties.

Students know scientists have developed instruments that can
create discrete images of atoms and molecules that show that the atoms
and molecules often occur in well-ordered arrays.

Students know differences in chemical and physical properties
of substances are used to separate mixtures and identify compounds.

Students know living organisms and most materials are composed
of just a few elements.

Students know the common properties of salts, such as sodium
chloride (NaCl).

NaCl electrical conductivity when dissolved

crystal shape

Life Sciences

Plants and animals have structures for respiration, digestion, waste disposal,
and transport of materials. As a basis for understanding this concept:

Students know many multicellular organisms have specialized
structures to support the transport of materials.

Students know how blood circulates through the heart chambers,
lungs, and body and how carbon dioxide (CO2) and oxygen (O2)
are exchanged in the lungs and tissues.

Students know the sequential steps of digestion and the roles
of teeth and the mouth, esophagus, stomach, small intestine, large intestine,
and colon in the function of the digestive system.

Students know the role of the kidney in removing cellular waste
from blood and converting it into urine, which is stored in the bladder.

Students know how sugar, water, and minerals are transported
in a vascular plant.

Students know plants use carbon dioxide (CO2)
and energy from sunlight to build molecules of sugar and release oxygen.

Students know plant and animal cells break down sugar to obtain
energy, a process resulting in carbon dioxide (CO2) and water
(respiration).

Earth Sciences

Water on Earth moves between the oceans and land through the processes
of evaporation and condensation. As a basis for understanding this concept:

Students know most of Earth's water is present as salt water
in the oceans, which cover most of Earth's surface.

Students know when liquid water evaporates, it turns into water
vapor in the air and can reappear as a liquid when cooled or as a solid
if cooled below the freezing point of water.

Students know water vapor in the air moves from one place to
another and can form fog or clouds, which are tiny droplets of water
or ice, and can fall to Earth as rain, hail, sleet, or snow.

Students know that the amount of fresh water located in rivers,
lakes, under-ground sources, and glaciers is limited and that its availability
can be extended by recycling and decreasing the use of water.

Students know the origin of the water used by their local communities.

Energy from the Sun heats Earth unevenly, causing air movements that result
in changing weather patterns. As a basis for understanding this concept:

Students know the influence that the ocean has on the weather
and the role that the water cycle plays in weather patterns.

Students know the causes and effects of different types of severe
weather.

Students know how to use weather maps and data to predict local
weather and know that weather forecasts depend on many variables.

Students know that the Earth's atmosphere exerts a pressure
that decreases with distance above Earth's surface and that at any point
it exerts this pressure equally in all directions.

The solar system consists of planets and other bodies that orbit the Sun
in predictable paths. As a basis for understanding this concept:

Students know the Sun, an average star, is the central and
largest body in the solar system and is composed primarily of hydrogen
and helium.

Students know the solar system includes the planet Earth, the
Moon, the Sun, eight other planets and their satellites, and smaller
objects, such as asteroids and comets.

Students know the path of a planet around the Sun is due to
the gravitational attraction between the Sun and the planet.

Investigation and Experimentation

Scientific progress is made by asking meaningful questions and conducting
careful investigations. As a basis for understanding this concept and addressing
the content in the other three strands, students should develop their own
questions and perform investigations. Students will: